A String of Humanity
by ironbiohazard03
Summary: While most of the citizens in Germany cowered in fear of the amalgams, a few select people were willing to stand up against them. These people were willing to pull the trigger, each of them had a string connected to humanity. Amanda and Hermann have that string which is unbreakable. Their survival matters. (Rated M for language and violence)


**Well, I thought this would be the longest one-shot ever, but after consideration it would be best for this story to be broken up into chapters. There's only so many page breaks I can make before it starts to get a little complicated.**

 **So, why am I writing this fanfiction? For a number of reasons, I want to give this fandom the needed love it deserves. Unfortunately, this anime is so heavily underrated it needs to get more recognition. While the CGI to some people might be jarring, keep in mind, this was from 2007 and some aspects of the CGI hold up to today. The characters' plights and the overall story is what gripped me the most. What Amanda and the others go through is just horrifying for any normal human to endure. Plus, I wanted to rewatch it and it's been helping a lot with certain plot points I may have forgotten.**

 **However, the only fanfictions I can find are ones pairing Hermann and Joseph in a "yaoi" style. I want to show the chemistry that there is between Amanda and Hermann, because in the show you can tell that the two did care for each other. Hermann definitely was concerned with Malek's safety during the arc with Gerd and his descent.**

 **As with fanfiction, I am taking a few liberties that transpired after the XAT was attacked by the amalgams, Wolf's betrayal, and how Hermann ends up finding Amanda. I want to explore something a little different.**

 **With all of that said, I hope you guys can enjoy this chapter and maybe, hopefully, go watch the anime.**

* * *

The land of Germany was ravaged and destroyed by Amalgams, but a few survived to tell the story that the public needed to hear. News stations and media sources attempted to hide the deaths of victims that were caused by a disease and not monsters. No one would have bought, monsters only existed in children's stories. The people of Germany fabricated the term Demoniacs to showcase the demon within these monsters and that some people didn't have a choice in the matter.

Gerd was Hermann's best friend from not just even the days of XAT Force, but outside of the force they could talk about anything on their minds. There was only so much Hermann could talk about in front of Alvin and Bradley, but those two had their own goals and prerogatives for being part of XAT. Hermann certainly didn't want to say the wrong thing in front of his leader Wolf, although Hermann himself had a knack of letting his mouth run when angry. Mei-Fong half the time, by no fault of her own, blindly followed her leader Wolf, but when she saw him for what he truly was she regretted it.

Where did that leave Amanda? Asides from working there to make some sort of money and stability for Malek, her job required a lot of her time. There were days she regretted leaving Malek alone, plus he was having issues with the school bullies because of the person he is. Outsiders never felled in place with Germany all that well, they were horribly discriminated.

Well, after the fall of the XAT she was quickly re-assigned to Zwölf. With no other options, she made the best of it, but it was to ultimately help Joseph's end goal. She could never imagined Malek being dragged into that hell, but over time she was able to accept it to a degree.

No one could be blamed for the whole ordeal, not even Joseph. He played the role of the martyr, to protect the people while using a power that could kill him. While Joseph may have looked cold to the world, he knew that he had to disconnect from his emotions for the right reasons. Magwald Xargin knew what world he wanted, but not a world of a peace and justice, but of destruction and ire.

Some of the victims included Gerd. His emotions caused him pain and agony, that he wanted Joseph to take his life away. How could a human possibly fathom having the powers of an Amalgam and keep some kind of sanity? Joseph Jobson was the man to understand what these powers offered while Xargin had other intentions with his powers. He knew how to play his cards right with a few accomplices.

In the meantime, Hermann barely came to grips about his new reborn life and how Beatrice changed it all.

/

"If there's a path for me, then there's sure as hell one for you!" That phrase kept on playing in Hermann's head over and over, getting louder and louder. It was something he would say to Gerd when he wouldn't get off his pitiful ass after the motorcycle crash. Except, it was being used against him. Did Hermann necessarily take the right path? What turn did he miss after Gerd's death?

He could just see Gerd right in front of him. Blond hair and those stern blue eyes were filled with disappointment.

After the helicopter crash, most of those memories were filled with gray, fuzzy silhouettes walking with phantom voices echoing across streets. The one detail Hermann could remember was waking up in a pool of blood and a strange woman offering him some kind of pill.

Even when he woke up, some memories came back to flood him such as Wolf's betrayal to the XAT. More than anything, Hermann wanted to clock him for that.

For a few days on end, he aimlessly wandered the streets of Germany to find some kind of shelter and rested where he could. Sounds of grenades and explosions rang in his head, the pain unbearable to most people. He tried with all of his strength to push it all out, but the same pain kept on crawling back in.

 _Fuck, I just can_ _'_ _t. I_ _'_ _m trying to fight this feeling inside of me. This anger, this pure hatred I have for something. I need to let it out somehow._

Somehow his feet carried him into one of the forests, his body completely pressed against a tree. Arms heavy like lead, his body truly went through hell. Tree after tree lined his vision, however everything still made no sense. _Who the fuck am I supposed to believe? The XAT was meant to keep people safe. Wolf, you worthless son of a bitch._

Fists pounded furiously into one of the dead trees, short breaths escaped from his exasperated limbs. All of his thoughts and emotions were just overwhelming for one person to handle. He truly wanted to scream, let it all out; the pain seared through every fiber of his being.

His red hair was matted from pressing against the tree so hard; his breaths felt heavier and his chest felt like a ten thousand ton weight was on it. _Amanda, I_ _'_ _m so sorry. I failed you; I failed Malek and Gerd. What kind of person am I if I even can_ _'_ _t save one of them? Malek, I was supposed to keep Gerd around, but even then I was helpless._

Both of his arms were starting to feel unusually warm, more pain shot through his eyes. He tried so hard to shake it off; Hermann Saltza wasn't the kind of man to give up. He didn't want to give up so easily, but everything around him said otherwise. The pain continued to linger on, but after a couple of moments he grew accustomed to it. At most, he wanted to find some kind of lodging to get a few moments of rest and recollect his thoughts.

The citizens around him didn't matter at all, what mattered was finding his own sanctuary. A rustic, vintage building was found within distance. Thankfully for Hermann's sake, he did have enough money stashed away before the helicopter crash. He stumbled into the structure and a lovely, female host greeted him with a smile. "Welcome to the Frieden Estate, a rustic, simple motel for those who are looking to get away for a bit. How can I help you today?" Her voice was filled with such enthusiasm and joy, it reminded him when Amanda treated Malek so nicely. Hermann wanted to smile, but at the moment he didn't want to get too emotional. His usual smirk did show its appearance.

"I'm looking to stay here at the most three days, but if I need to extend my stay how could I do that? Also, what's your name? My name's Hermann Saltza."

She quickly grabbed one of the binders and searched around for something to scribble down with. "Oh, I get so wrapped up in my work I kinda forget to tell them my name. My name's Cara Friedan, I'm the owners daughter. If you need me for anything, please call the front desk." However, she had some concern about the outfit he was wearing.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what?" his tired voice tried to break through.

"Aren't you part of the XAT? Is it true that it's entirely gone?"

How would she have found out so quickly? Yet, since he still had the uniform on and Hermann was out of the picture for quite some time. The news in Germany tended to float around quickly, he was not too surprised about the news of the XAT Force.

"It's a bit of a complicated story, we were attacked and lost too many people. I don't know who's still alive at this point, but I was out of commission for a bit and I finally woke up. I need some rest. I'll call my director later today." All that he said was a lie and truth, he didn't want to tell the young lady that his leader committed the worst betrayal possible and that Germany could be at possible threat with the amalgams.

Whatever Hermann said didn't seem to faze her, but she acknowledged what he had to say and gave him smile. "Well, rest for how long you want to. Don't worry about asking for an extension, we usually give people up to a week as courtesy from the motel." Her pale, brown eyes and long, dark-brown hair showcased her youth; Cara looked like the woman who could handle anything in front of her. She handed him the keys and showed him which hallway he needed to go down.

Metal clicked as he turned the key and the layout of the room was on the small side, but had a quaint feeling to it. _This isn_ _'_ _t a five star hotel, but I just need sleep._

Cara wanted to make sure he made it down there without any problems. She was genuinely concerned about his disheveled state. All of those scratches and cuts along his bodysuit were very prevalent. After Hermann turned the corner furthest away from her, she sneakily followed in suit. _My god, I can only imagine what the people of the XAT go through on a daily basis._ She knew where he was from, but wanted to let him have that moment of rest he rightfully deserved.

A few hours passed on by, peaceful and tranquil were the words that quietly echoed in Hermann's mind. A handful of deep breaths finally calmed his nerves down. All of the sweat and blood he endured from the last fight just wore him down. He was still upset and betrayed by the XAT. For all of his life, he wanted to protect his country from anything that could do harm. Years and years, Hermann endured the physical training and beat down from his commanders just to don the suit. Even Wolf taught him an important lesson; to not let the enemy see your weaknesses, but use them to get the advantage over them.

Hermann couldn't help to lament over everything that happened. Certain scenes replayed in his mind, especially the sacrifice Brad was willing to make in order to ensure Amanda and the others safety. Alvin too made his own sacrifice and couldn't imagine the pain Lena endured in the fiery, mechanized suit.

However, Hermann couldn't help but worry about the state of Amanda and her brother Malek. The two should never be separated, but because of the work Amanda had to do on a daily basis she could never spend the time that she wanted to with Malek. Everything around Hermann was in such a fragmented state, that he had no idea how to piece the convoluted puzzle next. Where was Blue, or known as Joseph Jobson, and what would Hermann do about getting his revenge on Wolf? Every question in his mind didn't have an exact answer, but stressing over the details wasn't helping him.

With his uniform stripped off, he waltzed into the small shower stall. Every cut and bruise tattooed his body, even with some of the calming effects of the steam on his head, each laceration felt like an inferno. Feelings of anger and resentment boiled within in his core, but he didn't want to go down the path that Gerd did. Hermann wanted to be the better man, save Malek, stop whatever corruption there is in Germany, and ultimately stop the existence of the Amalgams so that everyone can be at peace.

After the shower, he wanted to dull his mind with the antique television set in his room. From kids cartoons to the news, it brought him some kind of amusement and especially seeing some slapstick humor brought a little smile back. However, just as he mindlessly flipped the channels he saw Amanda centered in a news report. Her expression wasn't too particularly happy, as if she was forced to put on an act. _Amanda, I need to find you. I just need to explain to you what happened to me. I can_ _'_ _t fucking trust those guys as far as I can throw them. Zw_ _ö_ _lf, more like fuckers who want to throw around soldiers to make themselves seem superior._

Except, he heard a few knocks at the door. Maybe it was Cara or someone else, but he discreetly put his gun to the side just in case it was someone from Zwölf. _Would they really go after me? I was part of the XAT, but that just can_ _'_ _t be the reason._

Thankfully, it was the young lady. "It's been a couple of hours and I thought maybe it would be best to bring you some food. Don't worry about paying a dime, the chef wanted to make it for you."

He was so taken aback, Hermann was used to just the scraps around his apartment and not a home cooked meal. Steam and aromas rose from his plate, a divinely made meatloaf and mashed potatoes were so comforting. "Thanks, I haven't had food like this in a long, damn while. Thanks Cara. Seriously, thanks." Hermann discreetly put his gun away and wanted to nosh on his meal.

Forkful after forkful filled his belly to the brim and he conked out for the night. For once, he could dream without any frights or horrors in his mind. Although, he was worried about Amanda. How she was taking it all in, what she must have been thinking about Malek's condition, and why XAT had to fall as well. He just needed to see her. _Amanda, I constantly get angry at you. I get angry at everybody and I_ _'_ _ve been told my temper could get me in trouble. It_ _'_ _s just that, when I get angry, I get angry over the people I love and care. Ugh, I can be such a thick headed idiot. Well, there_ _'_ _s no sense in ruining a good night_ _'_ _s sleep. I_ _'_ _ll see you one day, Amanda._

A couple more hours passed by, but that tranquility quickly ended when nearby gunshots and explosions rattled the estate. "Oh god, Cara!" he screamed at the top at the top of his lungs. Hermann didn't want the sincerity and kindness that Cara gave to be gone in a heartbeat. Even with his bathrobe still on, Hermann bolted down the hallway to see the young lady quivering underneath the front desk.

"Cara, are you okay? I heard that noise and the first thing I thought was you. Are you injured?"

She was clearly rattled, her perfectly tucked her was popping out of place. Cara wrung her hands together trying to gather her thoughts together before she uttered another sentence. _What the ever living hell is going on in this country? Does anyone care anymore?_

With a quick gesture, Hermann grabbed Cara's hands to calm her down. "Look, I'm gonna need you to cooperate with me for every step of the way. I know the explosions must've been startling, but we're gonna make sure everyone from this inn gets out safely. Now, do you have some sort of PA system here?"

"Yeah, there is one. I'll tell everyone to evacuate."

She rustled through a couple of papers to find a button for the PA system and took a few breaths before she made her announcement. "Listen, everyone here, we need to evacuate. Please exit calmly and we will make our way towards the other shed."

"What's in the other shed?" he questioned.

Her face looked more determined than she was a few minutes ago. "We usually store stuff for the seasons, but there's plenty of room for the staff and a few guests. Thankfully, you're the only guest and the staff knows where to go."

People quickly scurried to the shed, while Cara tried to keep herself calm in the situation. It was thanks to Hermann who made her a bit saner than before. Normally, she'd tried to run from a situation, but with the creatures that have been running amok in Germany, a cool-level head was necessary.

Thankfully, Hermann grabbed for his guns and uniform. Although, the pain wouldn't seem to go away, but he played it off as a migraine that would go away eventually.

More smoke and explosions started to creep closer to the motel, but Hermann wanted to stay composed in front of everybody. However, the pain kept on intensifying and he could no longer play it off.

Cara extended her arm out towards his shoulder, and a powerful burst of heat escaped. "Hermann, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

"I might." His words had no weight, they just escaped from his mouth; his tone felt so detached from the world, nothing was making sense anymore. Images of Amanda and Malek rushed through his head, XAT falling because of _his_ leader, the anger from Blue or Joseph Jobson. Everything was way too much for one human to handle; someone could've easily cracked from it all. Both eyes pulsated horrendously and forced his entire being to the ground. "Cara, please stay back. I, don't know what's wrong with me." More images flashed of the amalgams bathing in a pool of blood trying to drag him into a core of absolute darkness.

With one firm punch to the ground he was able to put a decent dent, which sent everyone else in the shed into frenzy.

"He's not normal."

"Something must have possessed him."

"Could it be the devil's work here?"

Nothing but the word lie flashed in Cara's mind. "What are you talking about? He has shown me so much kindness and sincerity, and you want to think he's the embodiment of the devil? What's wrong with you?"

Hermann's breathing started to shorten. "They might be right about me for the moment. Ever since I joined the XAT, I've accepted the path I'll be walking towards. No matter what diversions I'll take, I'll go to hell and back for sure."

Suddenly, his body keeled over and coughed relentlessly. Every cough tightened his throat and all color on his face vanished. "Cara, I need you to stay back from me."

"No, Hermann, let me help you." Every ounce within her body wanted to the right thing and not to see him suffer. Dainty fingers barely touched his shoulders as his body lurched forward. Fists were so clenched tightly, bones made a loud cracking sound. _Amanda, I'll find you. I know I will._

Just as Hermann was trying to fight against his internal struggle, one of the Amalgams popped from the forest. Cara wanted to sacrifice herself for Hermann's sake.

"I WON'T LET ONE OF THOSE BASTARDS TOUCH YOU!" He screamed with all of his might. As he extended his left, red armored scales covered his entire arm. With his transformed arm he was able to deflect the Amalgam with no issue. "Cara, I'm sorry, I'm the one who brought them here. Just keep on smiling and what you do."

More of the red armor formed a helmet over his face. The last thing he saw before the Demoniac powers took full control was Cara's smile. Her smile could light up a room, hopefully a dark room in Hermann's heart could be illuminated.

* * *

 **Phew, this was a lot of fun to write. There's something about Hermann's character that makes it easy for me to connect to. Maybe not just because in the dub he's voiced by Travis Willingham, but you want to feel for this guy because he genuinely wants to try. Plus, Hermann's got quite the sailor's mouth.**

 **This will be interesting since I changed the events with how Hermann actually meets Amanda.**

 **I hope my readers enjoyed the first chapter of not only a fanfic that means a lot to me, but the anime that I hold very close to my heart.**


End file.
